Programs can help seniors safely keep the keys to self-reliance

Published 2:40 pm, Thursday, September 20, 2012

SAFELY ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Doris Wilson, age 84, talks with instructor Rich Harmon of SafeWay Driving Centers, which offers programs for seniors to brush up on their driving skills.

SAFELY ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Doris Wilson, age 84, talks with instructor Rich Harmon of SafeWay Driving Centers, which offers programs for seniors to brush up on their driving skills.

Programs can help seniors safely keep the keys to self-reliance

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Superhighways with eight lanes, vehicles with high-tech gadgets, inattentive drivers on cell phones - these are the roads and drivers of today. Combine that with fading vision, failing hearing and lapsing memory, and a driver refresher course might be in order, especially because it's been years since most drivers older than 50 saw driving school in the rearview mirror.

Brandon Coleman, president and CEO of SafeWay Driving Centers in Houston, said studies show as seniors age, they revert back to the driving habits of newly licensed teenagers.

"We have the largest senior population in the history of mankind," Coleman said. "There are almost more seniors on the road than anyone else."

One might say that means the most experienced drivers are on the road, but whether a driver is 16 or 60, Coleman said having a driver's license should not be a given.

"People tend to think getting a driver's license is a rite of passage," he said, "when really it's a learned skill set."

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With that in mind, SafeWay Driving Centers offers a variety of senior driving packages, including a "tuneup" and a "refresher course," beginning at $89.

In addition to classroom instruction, drivers can hit the road with a state-trained instructor in their own vehicle, or in a SafeWay vehicle that has a right-side brake for the instructor, or, if necessary, in a simulator.

Coleman said most seniors come to the driving center willingly, but sometimes it's at the urging of concerned family members. Coleman understands, because he's been there.

About four years ago, he noticed his father's "vehicle health" was declining - he was slow to move when a light turned green, slow to stop when it turned red, not sure what street he was on.

The family kept an eye on things, but no one was prepared for what ultimately happened. Around noon one day, Coleman's father left the Memorial area for what should have been a 15-minute drive. They found the 74-year-old 15 hours later, near Dallas.

"It wasn't easy to take his keys away," Coleman said. "It's tough love. You do it because you love them."

Shortly after that, Coleman purchased SafeWay Driving Centers and implemented programs for senior citizens. But he's quick to point out almost everybody, regardless of age, could use a little brushing up behind the wheel.

"I know 80-year-old drivers who are better than 40-year-old drivers," Coleman said. In fact, some of his instructors themselves are senior citizens.

Knowing they'll be among peers encourages senior citizens to take a course or two. Andy Watson, an 80-year-old Houston resident, is the deputy state coordinator for AARP Texas Driver Safety.

Watson said there are two ways to take the class - online, or in a classroom. The nationwide program costs approximately $20, but there isn't any driving time behind the wheel.

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Students study rules of the road such as scanning, merging, mirror adjustment, blind spots, right-of-way, defensive driving, avoiding aggressive drivers and how to handle folks with road rage.

"There will come a time when we have to get away from the wheel," Watson said, "but until then, the program helps drivers protect their safety, and the safety of others, on today's roads."